Gear shaper



Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ETAL GEAR SHAPER l7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24, 1948 800 FIG IFIG.2.

INVENTORS WALTER s. PRAEG B ARTHUR B.BAS SOFF FIG.3.

I ATTORNEYE Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ETAL 2,669,906

GEAR SHAPER Filed March 24, 1948 17 Sheets-Sheet 2 ////J Ill/J INVENTORS WALTER S. PRAEG 3% y ARTHUR B.BASSOFF fiMa ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ETAL GEAR SHAPER 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 24, 1948 I .HIHHHHM I I I I I l INVENTORS WALTER $.PRAEG ARTHUR B.BAS OFF Y ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ETAL GEAR SHAPER l7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 24, 1948 INVENTORSQ WALTER $.PRAEG UR a.

ARTH

BASSOFF WW ATTORNEYS IN V EN TURS l I l I W. S. PRAEG EI'AL GEAR SHAPER l7 Sheets-Sheet 5 WALTER S. PRAEG ARTHUR B. BAS OFF Feb. 23, 1954 Filed March 24, 1948 .l 24 m m m ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ETAL GEAR SHAPER 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 24, 1948 Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ETAL 2,669,906

GEAR SHAPER Filed March 24, 1948 1.7 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTORS WALTER S. PRAEG ARTHUR B. AS OFF Y My v v 6 -ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ETA L GEAR SHAPER l7 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed March 24', 1948 FIG.I4.

INVENTORS WALTER S.PRAEG y Ammw WWW, Cr ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ETAL GEAR SHAPER 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed March 24, 1948 INVENTORS WALTER S.PRAEG B. BASSEFF ATTORNEYS 3y ARTHUR WW r [3 e7 Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ETAL GEAR SHAPER l7 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 Filed March 24, 1948 :ZIILI:

INVENTORS WALTER S. PRA' :6 y 'ARTHUR B. BASSOFF ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ET AL GEAR SHAPER l7 Sheets-Sheet 13 Filed March 24, 1948 Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ETAL GEAR SHAPER l7 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed March 24, 1948 FIG.32.

INVENTORS WALTER $.PRAEG ARTHUR B BASSZFF ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1954 w. s. PRAEG ETAL GEAR SHAPER 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed March 24, 1948 INVENTORS WALTER S. PRAEG y ARTHUR BEASEOFF ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 23; 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEAR SHAPER Application March 24, 1948, Serial No. 16,636

13 Claims.

The present invention relates to a gear shaping machine.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a gear shaping machine characterized by its simplicity, rigidity, and adaptability to perform diverse methods of gear shaping.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gear shaper in which vibration is substantially reduced and production tolerances are closely maintained.

-A further object is to provide for dynamic 'counterbalancing of the cutter spindle.

-A further object is to provide for selection of continuous or intermittent infeed and rotary feed.

Other objects not enumerated above will become apparent as the description proceeds, in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the gear shaping machine;

Figure '2 is a plan view of the machine;

Figure 3 is an end View looking to the right in Figure I;

Figure 4 is an end view, looking to the left in Figure I;

Figure 5 is a detail view showing outboard supports for work and tool spindles;

Figure 6 is an enlarged front elevation of the machine base;

Figure 7 is an enlarged plan view of the base;

Figure '8 is an enlarged fragmentary rear eleva- "ti'on of the base;

Figure 9 is an enlarged right side elevation of the base;

Figure 10 is 'a section on the line Hllii, Figure 9;

Figure '11 is a section on the line lI-I I, Figure 6;

Figure 12 is a section on the line 'I2l2, Figure 6;

Figure 13 is a section on the line l3-l3, Figure 6;

Figure 13A is a fragmentary section showing an idler gear which may be used with gears seen 6 in Figure 13;

Figure 133 is a fragmentary section showing a gear in a difierent operative train from that shown in Figure 13;

manual feed device which may be used with the structure shown in Figure 14; I

Figure 16 is a fragmentary elevation of a clutch "actuator used in conjunction'with the manual feed shown in Figure Figure '17 is a front elevation of the structure of Figure 16, with parts broken away;

Figure 18 is a section on the line Iii-l8, Figure 20;

Figure 19 is a section on the line ISL-I9, Figure 20;

Figure '20 is an enlarged partial front elevation of the base, with the cover plate removed;

Figure 21 is a front elevation of the cutter head;

Figure 22 is a right side elevation of the cutter head;

Figure 23 is a left side elevation of the cutter head;

Figure 24 is a plan view of the cutter head;

Figure 25 is a section on the line 25-45, Figure 24;

Figure 26 is a section on the line '26---2-6, Figure 23;

Figure 27 is a section on the line 21--21, Figure 21';

Figure 28 is a section on the line '2'828, Figure 21;

Figure 29 is a section on the line 29-29, Figure 21;

Figure 30 is a section on the line 30-30, Figure 21 Figure "31 is a section on the line 3l3l, Figure 21;

Figure 32 is a left side elevation of the work head;

Figure 33 is a front elevation of the work head;

Figure 34 is a section on the'line 34-34, Figure 32;

Figure '35- is a section onth'e line 35-35, Fig- "ure 34;

Figure '36 is a detail view'partly in section, of limit switches and the'actuator shown in Figure 32; and

Figure 37 is a simplified wiring diagram for the machine.

GENERAL ORGANIZATION Referring now to Figures 1 to '5, the general organization of the machine will "be described.

constituting the in-feed between cutter and work. The work spindle 830 projects horizontally from the work head and is adapted to support one or a plurality of gear blanks W. The cutter spindle 640 projects from the cutter head 68!! in a direction parallel to the axis of the work spindle 830.

A single drive motor is connected by trains of driving mechanism to the cutter spindle for reciprocating the same in its cutting stroke and for imparting index rotation or rotary feed thereto and for providing feeding movement to the work head along its ways I3 and for imparting index rotation or rotary feed to the work spindle 830. These means may provide for continuous or incremental in-feed and rotation, as will subsequently be described. In addition, rapid traverse means are preferably provided for eflecting rapid movement of the work head from loading position to the start of cutting position and from final cutting position to loading position.

The base H1 is provided with an upstanding work head transmission housing II from which extend a work head feed screw 3| and a work head index drive shaft 32.

The cutter head 60!) has a portion which extends below the upper surface of the base Ill and is there connected to the main drive shaft of the machine for imparting reciprocation to the cutter and to a second cutter rotary feed shaft.

Means are provided for effecting manual travel of the work head, this means comprising a hand wheel 220.

If desired, as best seen in Figure 5, both the cutter spindle 64B and the work spindle 830 may be provided with outboard supports 640a and 830a.

The means for imparting reciprocation to the cutter spindle 640 includes dynamic balancing means which render the machine substantially vibrationless in use and contribute to the speed andaccuracy with which the gears may be cut.

The machine is designed primarily to be used with a flexible gear shaper cutter of the tvpe disclosed in prior application, Seria No. 683,650. of Walter S. Praeg, Patent No. 2,604.016 granted July 22, 1952, which is assigned to the assignee herein. Inasmuch as this cutter is effective to provide clearance in back of the cutting edge by flexing of the cutter and since it therefore may operate to cut in both directions, the present machine is very s bstantially simplified over prior known gear shapers. ary in the past to employ shaper cutters which are relieved in back of the cutting edge and which therefore are adapted to cut in only one direction. The conventional shaper cutter cycle therefore includes a cutting stroke, relieving movement, an idle return stroke, and a recovering movement corresponding to the relieving movement which completes the cycle and conditions the apparatus for a second cutting stroke. The present machine on the contrary has only two movements corresponding to the foregoing. These are a forward and return cutting stroke. In both cases of course index rotation or rotary feed is imparted to the gear and cutter. It will therefore be seen that the present apparatus is adapted to operate to remove metal at a substantially higher rate than has previously been possible, and furthermore due to the several refinements of the machine it operates quietly and will produce gears to a high degree of accuracy.

It has been custom- Contributing to the rigidity of the machine in operation and the accuracy of the gears produced thereby is the dynamic balancing mechanism for the cutter spindle previously referred to. Also contributing to this end are special means insuring absolute rigidity of the cutter head on the base during operation, this means including special means for effecting clamping of the cutter head to the base in such a manner as to prevent possibility of loss of rigidity.

The machine is futher designed so that the work head is supported on its ways l2 in such a manner as to take up the thrust of the cutter spindle in a most effective manner. The construction involves the location of supporting ways in a position such that the line joining the supporting ways makes'a small angle A (Figure l) with the axis of the work spindle. The other supporting ways are provided with holding-down mean to prevent lifting of the work head from its ways during the operation.

BASE ASSEMBLY The base assembly comprises a main casting [9 adjacent one corner of which is mounted an upwardly extending work transmission housing ll. At the upper surface of the casting III are provided ways l2 on which a work head 800 is mounted for longitudinal movement. Adjacent the other end of the machine and extending longitudinally thereof at substantially the longitudinal center line are ways l3 for mounting a cutter head 608. The Ways I2 and I3 are disposed at right angles to each other and take care of the necessary relative motion between the cutter head 690 and the work head 800.

Mounted within the frame [0 is a main motor l5 which is well illustrated in Figure 11. A flywheel IE is keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft I! and the motor shaft I8 is coupled to the flywheel through a flexible coupling I9. At the forward end of the shaft I1 is a small pinion 20 which meshe with a gear 2| carried by a shaft 22, which shaft is coupled to a shaft 23 by change gears 24 and 25. At the inner end of the shaft 23 is a bevel pinion 26 meshing with a bevel gear 21 keyed or otherwise secured to the main shaft 28 of the machine.

The main shaft 28 runs longitudinally of the machine and to it are connected several different trains of driving mechanisms which will be separately described.

The cutter head 500, a best see in Figures 21 and 23 and as will subsequently be described, has a downwardly extending portion adapted to be received within the base 10 below the plane of its upper surface and is further provided with means for connecting with two operating shafts in the base. The right-hand end of the main shaft 28 as best seen in Figure 10 connects to the cutter drive shaft through the medium of a splined connecting sleeve 29. A cutter rotary feed drive shaft 30 is parallel to main drive shaft 28 and has a splined connection with the rotary feed mechanism carried in the adjustable cutter head 600.

The work head 8% has means subsequently to be described for connection with two operating shafts extending from the work head transmission housing H. One of these is the work head feed screw 3| and the other is the work head rotary feed drive shaft 32, both seen in Figures 6 and 7.

In the automatic operation of the machine means are provided for effecting the desired rowhich may be considered as t sleeve 83. '65 (Figure 13) which mesheswith agear t6 keyed 'or otherwise-secured to a work head timeshait anemone tation o'f the four shafts referred to a'nd furthe'r means'are provided so that-some ofthejsh'afts may be operated "continuously 01' intermittently "so-as to providecoritinuous or incremental iii-feed and continuous or incremental rotary fee'd.

Referring to Figure 1.0,the mainshaft Z8 is mounted in suitable bearings indicated generally at 35. Keyed orotherwise-seoured to theshaft for effectingcontinuous in-feed'of the work head. The main shaftfitl also carries a bevel gear ii] starting point or a train of mechanism for effecting both incremental rotary feed and in-feed. The-ma'in-s'h'aft 28 is also provided'with a worm 52 connected to a train of mechanism for timing the operation ofthe machine.

The several trains of mechanism referred to will-be separately described.

Rotary feed Considering first the mechanism for efifecting continuous rotary feed oi the gear and cutter,

reference is made to Figures 26 and 13. The

worms? meshes with a worm gear mounted 'on ashaft 48.

If the machine is to be operated so as to have continuous index rotation of the work and cutter, a pinion Me is mounted on the shaft 46- in the position shown in Figure 20.

The pinion ll'c may if incremental rotation is to be employed be removed from the shaft 46 and mounted instead upon a shaft 48 in the position designated 411 in this figure. However, in the present instance the pinion ilo is considered as meshing with a gear 69 mounted on ashaft '56), which shaft carries a second gear 5|. The gear 53! may mesh with an idler gear '52 or it may mesh directly with a driven gear 53 depend ing upon the arrangement of the gears. For an understanding of this mechanism reference is 6."

made to Figures 13 and 13A. The gear 53 has teeth 5% at one end only, the other end of the gear being reduced as indicated at 55. If the gear is located on the shaft with the toothed end to the left as seen in Figure 13 the gear 5| does not mesh with the teeth 56 and the drivin-g connection between the gears 51 and 53 is through the relatively wide idler gear 52. If it is desired to reverse the direction of rotary feed the idler gear 52 is removed, and the gear 53 is reversed so that its teeth 54 are in the plane of and mesh with the teeth of the gear 5i. This arrangement is provided so that the direction of ment 69 includes bevel gear teeth meshing with a bevel'gear carried by the'cutter timing shaft 30 (Figure 19) 60?! through the medium of a splined coupling Secured to the bevel gear 50 is a pinion The shaft 36 is adapted to be I "coupled to a shaft carried by the cutter head -6'!, to the opposite end of which is connected. n 'gear68 which meshes with a gear 69 integrally formed with a second gear 10 which drives a gear "H keyed or otherwise "secured to short spline shaft 12. The shaft 72 is adapted to be "connected 'to theworkc head worm drive shaft by a splined coupling sleeve t3.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent'that as'long as the main motor i5 is running and the pinion is in the position oft'lc in Figure 20, continuous timed rotation will be inrparted to both the cutter spindle and the work spindle if 'clu'tch til is engaged. In some "cases, however, it is preierabie to provide for incre- 'mental rotation of these spindles. For this :purpose :pinion We is removed from the shaft fii, thus breaking the train of gears previously described, and is placed on the spin-die 38 in the position indicated at tilt in Figures '20 and 13in mesh withthegear'dil previously described. Accordingly, "any rotation of the pinion Hi in its illustrated position will be'eflecti-ve to rotate-the work. head worm shaft driver 13 and the shaft 3%! which imparts rotary 'feed to thecutter.

Mechanism for elifecting intermittent rotation of the pinion. in its position will now bedescribed. The beveled "pinion 40 carried by the main shaft 28 meshes with 'a bevel-gear mounted on a shaft 8| which carries'a pair of cams'82 and 83 (Figures 7 and 20). The cams 82 and 83 respectively impart intermittent or incremental in-ieed to the work head and intermittent -or incremental rotary feed to the cutter and gear spindles.

Reierring again to Figure 20, a levertimou'nted for rotation on the shaft t8 ha a first arm 86 carrying" a roller 81: which rides'onthe'periphery of the cam 83. The lever has a second arm $8 to which is pivoted a spring pressed pawl 89 7 adapted to'have'one way'enga-gement withrathet teeth form-ed onthe periphery of'aratchet'whe'l keyed or otherwise secured totheshaft R8.

Also pivoted "to the shaft "48 is a blanking or masking plate having a masking portion '96 adapted to overlie some of the 'ratche't teeth in the'zone of operation of the pawltil. The masking plate is connected to an adjusting arm 91 having an elongated slot 98 formed therein through which aiastening screw 99 "extends. By loosening the screw 99 "and effecting "adjustment of the masking plate, the desired. number o1 ratchet teeth maybe exposed for actuation by the pawl "89.

The masking plate-5 may be adjusted' so that any 'predetermined'number up to -four 'pawlteeth maybe exposed for engagement by the ratchet '89 and will'of'course be clamped in adjusted positionby tightening the screw 99. By this means it is possible to vary therate of rotary or circular incremental feed. Accordingly, it is possible to take advantage of a relatively high rate if the material and characteristics of 'the gear permit. On the other hand, by setting the masking plate so'as to expose asingle ratchet tooth, 'a'very fine feed with corresponding improvement in surface finish may be produced.

In'like manner the masking plate (laterto be described in connection with infeed) may also be adjusted-sothat actuation of thepawl I23 may advancctheratchet-disc by a number'of teeth which can be predetermined from 1-4.

Automatic means are provided 'for operating the clutch sleeve 51 to connect and disconnect the "spindle rotating mechanism including sleeve 1 3 to mower. This means takes the form. of a 

